Match Preview: Leeds United

The Bees come into this game on the back of a pair of draws with Birmingham City and Reading in the Sky Bet Championship. The red and white stripes head north for this weekend's game looking for a first win in five.

The Opposition

Leeds are flying this term. A new boss, a new system and something of a run at the start of the season has them battling it out for top spot even at this early stage. Last season it was a similar story, with Leeds only losing one of their first nine games and drawing just two.

Following a 3-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on 1 October 2017, they went on a run of five defeats in six. That included a 3-1 loss to Brentford on 4 November; Neal Maupay, Ryan Woods and Yoann Barbet scoring at Griffin Park. A mixed season saw them end in 13th place, down on their 16/17 finish of 7th - a place below the play-offs. The two years previous saw 13th and 15th finishes, showing fans that at least progress is being made.

This summer's big additions were Barry Douglas [Wolves] and Patrick Bamford [Middlesbrough] for a combined fee of £10 million. A trio of players was also brought in from Chelsea on loan; Lewis Baker and Izzy Brown on the field. In goal, Jamal Blackman also arrived from The Blues but has yet to oust 21-year-old Bailey Peacock-Farrell from between the sticks in Yorkshire.

Heading out the door, youngster Eunan O'Kane was sent on a six-month loan to Luton Town in Sky Bet League One. Ronaldo Vieira was sold to Sampdoria in Italy, while his brother Romario was released by the Club.

Team News

Ollie Watkins and Saïd Benrahma missed out on Brentford's 1-1 draw with Birmingham at Griffin Park, but both are available for selection this weekend. Rico Henry and Emiliano Marcondes are both still injured and will miss out on the encounter.

Leeds will be without summer singing Barry Douglas at left-back, still feeling the effects of a hamstring injury he picked up on Tuesday night. Patrick Bamford is a long-term absentee while Izzy Brown continues to find full fitness after joining on loan.

Kemar Roofe hasn't featured since the last international break for United, alongside Gaetano Berardi who has a knee problem. Influential man in the middle Pablo Hernandez has been struggling for fitness with a hamstring problem, and the medical staff also confirmed his return date was beyond the Brentford fixture.

The Manager

Marcelo Bielsa, 63, is an Argentinian manager who played the game as a defender for the likes of Newell's Old Boys and Instituto in the late 1970s. Retiring early at the age of 25, he decided to dedicate his career to coaching. In 1990 he was given his first role as manager at his old club for two years.

In 1998, he had a brief spell as Espanyol manager before leaving to take on the job of Argentina's national coach. He had a six-year tenure of his native side, qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and also won the country a gold medal in the 2004 Olympic Games - their first in 52 years.

From there he went on to manage Chile in 2004, taking them to the 2010 FIFA World Cup and acheiving a Last-16 finish. They lost 3-0 to Brazil in front of 54,000 fans at Ellis Park Stadium. Spells at Athletic Bilbao, Marseille and Lazio and LOSC Lille followed before he was appointed Leeds boss in June this year.

Last Victory

The last time we beat Leeds was our home fixture last season, see the best of the action below:

Ticket Info

Tickets will be on sale tomorrow, cash only, from the away ticket window located adjacent to the away turnstiles (Entrance 1 & 2). Collections and duplicates will also be available from 1.30pm at the away ticket window

Adult £42

Senior 60+ £30

16 to 22 £30

Junior Under 16 £16

Junior Under 11 £8

Match Coverage

Mark Burridge will be hosting Matchday Live from Elland Road's famous gantry from around noon. He'll be providing live commentary and reaction alongside Mick Cabble and Ciaran Brett on iFollow Brentford.

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